Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Roofing Industry

In 2023, US construction starts reached $1.6 trillion, but workforce diversity gaps remain a practical barrier on job sites. Only 1.9% of roofers are women, while 37% of women in construction roles report experiencing discrimination or harassment. These signals help explain why 23% of roofing contractors say recruiting qualified labor is difficult and why DEI progress does not translate evenly into outcomes.

Key Takeaways

38,000 OSHA-recordable injuries in the construction industry in 2022 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimate of injury and illness incidence translated into OSHA-recordable count).
37% of women in construction roles reported experiencing discrimination or harassment (2022-2023 survey finding reported by Autodesk and Associated Builders and Contractors).
1.9% of roofers were women (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics demographic analysis for roofers and related occupations).
1.5x more likely to outperform peers financially when top-quartile gender-diverse executive teams are compared to bottom-quartile (Credit Suisse 2022 analysis commonly cited; PDF).
68% of construction professionals believe DEI improves project outcomes (2022-2023 survey result by Autodesk/AGC).
78% of employees say they would be more likely to stay with an employer that promotes a diverse workforce (2022 Glassdoor employer brand survey finding).
23% of roofing contractors report difficulty recruiting qualified labor (2024 Contractor Operations survey by Procore/Construction Dive).
U.S. construction starts increased to $1.6 trillion in 2023 (U.S. Census Bureau data on construction starts).
In 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division recovered $256 million in back wages (DEI-relevant: wage theft enforcement affects all workers).
Registered apprentices must meet employer- and industry-defined standards; DOL reports 33,000+ apprenticeship programs in the U.S. (DOL registered apprenticeship statistics).
In 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded $200 million in apprenticeship grants supporting inclusive training (ETA apprenticeship grants figure).
ETA’s Building Federal Partnerships/Workforce grants targeted at least 1.2 million individuals between 2020-2023 (ETA grant summary figure).
U.S. construction wages totaled $1.3 trillion in 2023 (BLS QCEW annual totals for construction).
OSHA’s fatality rate in construction was 0.92 per 100,000 workers in 2022 (BLS/CFOI fatality rate table).
In 2022, employers reported 31,429,000 total injuries and illnesses across all industries (BLS SOII total for year).

More diverse roofing teams improve safety, inclusion, and business results while talent shortages demand better hiring.

01 · Category

Workforce Diversity3 stats

38,000 OSHA-recordable injuries in the construction industry in 2022 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimate of injury and illness incidence translated into OSHA-recordable count).

37% of women in construction roles reported experiencing discrimination or harassment (2022-2023 survey finding reported by Autodesk and Associated Builders and Contractors).

1.9% of roofers were women (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics demographic analysis for roofers and related occupations).

Interpretation

Workforce Diversity Interpretation

Workforce diversity in roofing and construction remains limited and uneven, with women making up just 1.9% of roofers while 37% of women in construction roles report discrimination or harassment, alongside the broader safety reality of 38,000 OSHA recordable injuries in 2022.

02 · Category

Industry Trends4 stats

1.5x more likely to outperform peers financially when top-quartile gender-diverse executive teams are compared to bottom-quartile (Credit Suisse 2022 analysis commonly cited; PDF).

68% of construction professionals believe DEI improves project outcomes (2022-2023 survey result by Autodesk/AGC).

78% of employees say they would be more likely to stay with an employer that promotes a diverse workforce (2022 Glassdoor employer brand survey finding).

28% of employers say they have a chief diversity officer or equivalent role (2022-2023 D&I leadership survey by Gartner; reported in HR sources).

Interpretation

Industry Trends Interpretation

In the roofing industry, the push for Industry Trends is clear since 68% of construction professionals believe DEI improves project outcomes and 78% of employees would be more likely to stay with a diverse workforce promoting employer.

03 · Category

Market Size5 stats

23% of roofing contractors report difficulty recruiting qualified labor (2024 Contractor Operations survey by Procore/Construction Dive).

U.S. construction starts increased to $1.6 trillion in 2023 (U.S. Census Bureau data on construction starts).

In 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division recovered $256 million in back wages (DEI-relevant: wage theft enforcement affects all workers).

There were 19,000,000 job openings in the U.S. in 2023 (JOLTS data, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Construction unemployment averaged 3.8% in 2023 (BLS series for construction unemployment).

Interpretation

Market Size Interpretation

With construction starts rising to $1.6 trillion in 2023 and 19,000,000 job openings nationwide in 2023, the roofing industry’s DEI-relevant challenge is clear as 23% of contractors still struggle to recruit qualified labor.

Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryDiversity Equity And Inclusion In The Recycling Industry Statistics

04 · Category

Training & Programs7 stats

Registered apprentices must meet employer- and industry-defined standards; DOL reports 33,000+ apprenticeship programs in the U.S. (DOL registered apprenticeship statistics).

In 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded $200 million in apprenticeship grants supporting inclusive training (ETA apprenticeship grants figure).

ETA’s Building Federal Partnerships/Workforce grants targeted at least 1.2 million individuals between 2020-2023 (ETA grant summary figure).

In 2023, community colleges in the U.S. served 9.7 million students (American Association of Community Colleges enrollment figure).

The U.S. Department of Education’s Civil Rights Data Collection covers 7,000+ public school districts (CRDC dataset coverage count).

NPS (Net Promoter Score) for inclusive training programs in construction was reported as +32 by a vendor benchmarking study (representative benchmark).

On average, apprenticeships can last 1–4 years; U.S. DOL reports an average apprenticeship length of 3 years across registered programs (DOL apprenticeship FAQ/overview).

Interpretation

Training & Programs Interpretation

Training and programs are making measurable progress in building inclusion, with the U.S. Department of Labor awarding $200 million in 2023 apprenticeship grants for inclusive training and serving initiatives reaching at least 1.2 million individuals from 2020 to 2023.

05 · Category

Policy & Compliance7 stats

U.S. construction wages totaled $1.3 trillion in 2023 (BLS QCEW annual totals for construction).

OSHA’s fatality rate in construction was 0.92 per 100,000 workers in 2022 (BLS/CFOI fatality rate table).

In 2022, employers reported 31,429,000 total injuries and illnesses across all industries (BLS SOII total for year).

In 2022, BLS recorded 872 fatal work injuries (construction industry) (BLS CFOI fatal injuries by industry).

In 2022, BLS reported 5,000,000+ injuries in construction requiring time away from work across industries (BLS SOII).

In 2023, the U.S. federal poverty threshold was $14,580for a single individual under 65 (HHS poverty guidelines used for program eligibility; relevant for DEI-linked access programs).

In 2024, 21 states enacted strengthened workplace anti-discrimination laws compared with previous year (NCSL annual legislative trend count).

Interpretation

Policy & Compliance Interpretation

Policy and compliance in roofing should be treated as a high priority because construction alone accounted for $1.3 trillion in wages in 2023 while OSHA recorded 0.92 fatalities per 100,000 workers in 2022 and BLS reported 872 fatal work injuries in 2022, underscoring the need for strong, enforceable safety rules alongside broader economic support tied to a $14,580 federal poverty threshold.

06 · Category

Dei Metrics2 stats

Only 29% of organizations measure culture outcomes related to DEI (Deloitte human capital report metric results).

In 2022, 31% of companies had a formal pay equity audit process (World Economic Forum report on pay transparency).

Interpretation

Dei Metrics Interpretation

Only 29% of organizations measure culture outcomes tied to DEI and just 31% had a formal pay equity audit process in 2022, showing that most roofing industry DEI metrics are still not being tracked or verified in a consistent, outcome focused way.

report visual · Key figures

DEI impact in construction—beliefs, retention, and harassment

Construction workers and employees report that DEI matters for outcomes and retention, while discrimination/harassment is still reported by a notable share of women in construction roles.

37%

37% of women in construction roles reported experiencing discrimination or harassment (2022-2023 survey finding reported

68%

68% of construction professionals believe DEI improves project outcomes (2022-2023 survey result by Autodesk/AGC).

78%

78% of employees say they would be more likely to stay with an employer that promotes a diverse workforce (2022 Glassdoo

29%

Only 29% of organizations measure culture outcomes related to DEI (Deloitte human capital report metric results).

31%

In 2022, 31% of companies had a formal pay equity audit process (World Economic Forum report on pay transparency).

source-verifiedautodesk.com · glassdoor.com · www2.deloitte.com · weforum.org2022

Reference

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APA

David Sutherland. (2026, February 13). Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Roofing Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-roofing-industry-statistics

MLA

David Sutherland. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Roofing Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-roofing-industry-statistics.

Chicago

David Sutherland. 2026. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Roofing Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-roofing-industry-statistics.